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Top 10 Things to Expect at the Oscars 2014

The countdown is on as the 2014 Academy Awards will soon be here. On March 2nd, you will settle in with a group of girlfriends, maybe pour some wine and pass out some snacks, and prepare for an epic night of 2014 Oscar fun. Who will make your best dressed list? What will be the biggest Oscar surprise? Who will win best picture 2014 Oscars? Here's what you can expect to see, including some big Oscar surprises:

Credit: http://telegraph.co.uk

10 Things to Expect at 2014 Oscars

1. With funny lady Ellen DeGeneres once again at the helm, you can bet on at least a few moments of almost-spitting-out-a-mouthful-of-wine hilarity. She'll probably be rocking a fabulous tux of some kind and will hopefully bust out some of her famous dance moves. She'll probably play it a little safer than last year's Ricky Gervais, but you may see her push the envelope a little bit. After all, if any can pull off a joke on a touchy subject, it's Ellen! With 12 Years a Slave up in a few big categories and the shut-out of pal Oprah and the rest of the gang from The Butler, Ellen might even crack wise about race and slavery. Again, she's about the only person who could pull that off without being offensive.

Class and Humor

2. Other than Ellen's fashion choices making you wonder if you could pull off the androgynousCredit: Oscars look, you will definitely see plenty of dresses that make you ooh and ahh, and quite a few that will make you go ewww! Jennifer Lawrencewill almost certainly wear Dior again, Julia Roberts will stick with her habit of wearing black, Lupita Nyong’o will probably look stunning, and Amy Adams will probably continue her award season trend of the plunging neckline. It seems like every year there are a few major trends in Oscar fashion, but this year's trends are a bit hard to call based on the previous awards shows this season. The 2014 New York Fashion Week is often a good predictor of trends that will be seen at the Oscars, and this year's trends include the white collar, a 3-D sculptural effect, pinks, florals, fringe, shiny metallics, the micro pleat, sports-inspired looks, and pop art patterns. A few of these trends could lead to some very (to put it politely) interesting gowns, the kind that might make Lady Gaga jealous. But after all, don't we all take some kind of delicious pleasure in mocking the most ridiculous gowns? You and your pals will definitely be able to indulge in this pleasure at least a bit during this year's red carpet procession.

3. If you've got kids or if you just love you some Disney animation, you're probably rooting for Frozen to win in the Animated Feature categoy and both you and Disney will be happy as this powerhouse is a shoe-in! And the film's power ballad "Let it Go" will also be taking home Best Feature Song, though this category has a little bit tougher competition.

4. If you're looking for big Oscar surprises, you won't find it in the best picture category. Best picture 2014 Oscars predictions have been made by almost everybody and 12 Years a Slave seems to be the overwhelming favorite. This one is also a lock, as Lupita and crew totally deserve this win.

5. Best screenplay? A bit of a toss up. You'll raise your glass to either Her or American Hustle.

Credit: Ken Muise

6. On to the yummiest category, Best Actor. With Christian Bale, Leonardo DiCaprio, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Matthew McConaughey up for the honor this year (along with Nebraska's Bruce Dern) there will be no shortage of eye candy. But the race isn't about looks, and all of these gents gave fabulous performances making this race a tough one to call. Bale probably has the least chance of winning, but the race is a tight one between the other four. He's not necessarily the leading favorite, but you might very well see the swoon-worth Leo finally take home the gold trophy he truly does deserve.

7. Everyone loves Meryl Streep, and this year's Best Actress nomination was a record-breaking for the star. If she wins, she'll be tying another record. As much as you love her, though, you probably won't be seeing her make an eloquent speech as the Best Actress winner. Maybe next year, as she shows now signs of slowing down! The 2014 Best Actress Oscar will deservedly go to Blue Jasmine's Cate Blanchett instead.

8. A great story and masterful acting are only a small part of an excellent film, and this years noms for Best Director all created true excellence. Alfonso Cuaron's directing was the most inventive, and the innovative techniques he used should definitely be rewarded this year. And who isn't totally jealous of him for working with everyone's dream BFF Sandra Bullock and everyone's dream date George Clooney? Maybe if you tweet him congratulating him for the big win, he'll hook you up!

9. Best Supporting Actor and Actress will go to Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong’o. Leto's transgender transformation was incredible and he totally deserves the win. If you've loved the heartthrob ever since his days of playing Jordan Catalano on My So Called Life, you'll be able to celebrate his long overlooked star power this year. On the Actress side, Lupita is another pretty definite bet. As already mentioned, she's sure to look gorgeous as she accepts the little gold guy.

Credit: Ken Muise

10. What's the biggest Oscar surprise in store for the 2014 show? Will someone pull a Kanye West and steal the moment of glory from a winner? Will Jennifer adorably trip once again? Maybe there will be a tragic shoe-to-dress ripping situation on the red carpet? Perhaps Jared Leto will come in character as Rayon? It's hard to say, but a show so centered around glamour and spectacle is sure to have at least a few surprises, both in the awards themselves and just in general. The biggest surprise of all would be if every speech was short and sweet, funny and moving, and not the too-common rambling on for far too long!

It's time to plan your selection of hors d'oeuvres, stock up on the wine, and get psyched for the 2014 Oscars. Get ready to judge the best and worst fashion, cheer for your favorite winners, and live vicariously for awhile through the rich and famous pretty people in Hollywood. Keep some tissues handy, as every once in awhile someone turns the simple acceptance speech into something incredibly touching. The tissues will also come in handy when you laugh so hard the tears start coming during Ellen's monologues. Whoever wins and loses, the only 100% surefire prediction for this year's event is that you will have an absolutely fabulous time watching the show.

Comments

Seth MacFarlane actually hosted last year. I could see why some people found his work offensive, but I thought it was funny. From what I've read, the Best Picture Oscar is actually a very tight three-way race.